


The Lawyer from Manchester

by mocking_ginger



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Romance, World War I, entail
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-06
Packaged: 2017-12-07 09:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mocking_ginger/pseuds/mocking_ginger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Season 1 AU: "I was only going to marry him if nothing better turned up." Patrick doesn't die in the Titanic, instead he meets a distant cousin at his father's Memorial. Matthew Crawley soon becomes his best friend and Patrick invites him to meet the only family he has left.Will Mary's definition of "something better" change now that Matthew is in the picture?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Memorial

Matthew didn't really know why he had decided to attend that memorial. Even in that moment, staring at that inked peace of paper, he couldn't really remember the reason which had driven him to actually make that decision. Of course, rationally, he remembered that he was going to London for business anyway, so you might say he had just decided to kill to birds with one stone. But James Crawley wasn't exactly a close relation, he was a third or fourth cousin in fact, and Matthew had probably never met him in his entire life. He remembered how once in a while his father would tell him how they were distantly related to an Earl who was actually the master of a great estate. But since they never really get in touch with his father's side of the family, Matthew had always thought that those talks of castles and estates were nothing more than the fairy tales his mother used to tell him when he was a little boy.

It was a cloudy april morning in 1912, that his assistant in the new firm he had been taken on, announced the immense tragedy which the Titanic shipwreck had been. But the interesting part was, that she'd also offered her sincerest condolences because apparently one of his relatives, this infamous James Crawley, had died in the dreadful incident. Matthew had also read about the memorial in London, and without any apparent reason, he had decided to attend.

Even if this cousin didn't actually bare any titles himself, the memorial was filled with people from every branch of the aristocracy, and Matthew came to know that in the first row, alongside the poor orphan Mr Patrick Crawley, sat the famous Earl of Grantham and his family. Matthew sat in the last few rows and didn't really get a chance to see how the aristocratic family (which was also his distant family) looked like. He didn't speak a word to anyone during the memorial, but just as the service ended he decided it was only an example of good manners, to go and offer his condolences to the orphan personally.

Patrick Crawley was a genuinely good fellow, with silky brown hair and bright green eyes, who was only a few years younger than Matthew. Even if he had every right to show off his intimate relations with the nobility, Patrick had been incredibly nice to Matthew and had confided in him his uncertainties regarding his future, now that he was indeed both fatherless and motherless. They had started to talk calmly and politely, but then the conversation had become ever so engaging, and Patrick had invited him to stay at the gentlemen's club.

He was incredibly glad to have finally found a male cousin, who was also about the same age as him, and regardless of their distant relation he had started to tell him all about his life as you would do to a brother or an old friend.

"It's actually a relief to be able to talk so freely with someone for once!" he had cried after taking a smoke of his cigar.

"I believed you had many friends, seeing the big turn out for your father's memorial today"

"Of course" Patrick chuckled " I have plenty of friend! But you see my dear Matthew, such a word does not bare the same meaning in my world as it might in yours! I have plenty of great friends who I can enjoy a garden party or a cricket match with, but a heart to heart conversation... not so much!"

"But forgive me … Bearing in mind that I am indeed enjoying your company very much, why would you share such intimate thoughts with a stranger you've just met a few hours ago?"

"Because you are family! And I have never had the pleasure to spend time with a male cousin ever in my life, so I shall recover the lost time as quickly as I can!"

Matthew knew of course that it wasn't the whole reason. Without thinking too much about it he had also confided in Patrick his feelings regarding losing his father and the two young men had started to bond right away from that.

"Of course beside you there's Robert" Patrick had continued.

"Robert?" Matthew had asked not recognizing this cousin's name.

"You may know him as Lord Grantham. He is my second cousin, but he is married and has three daughters of our age, so you'll see why I haven't really painted him much as real company!"

"Of course" Matthew agreed " Are you really close with the Earl's family?"

Patrick nodded "I practically grew up with his daughters, but that has a whole different meaning behind it".

When Matthew had looked at him rather puzzled, Patrick had started to tell him about Downton Abbey and the fact that he was going to be the Earl of Grantham one day.

"The next male relative after me might in fact be you!" they both had laughed at the absurdity of such thought. Patrick had always lived in this sparkly society world, but the thought of a simple lawyer from Manchester becoming an Earl and heir to an estate was just too preposterous of a thought. The two men had then talked about women and wives and Matthew had just blushed at the whole idea in general.

"I feel I have only just started my job after years of University, and the thought of pondering on marriage already seems just too scary for me" he had chuckled " But what about you? The handsome heir to a whole estate must be the aim to many virtuous ladies..."

Patrick had smiled sadly and answered " Actually there's always been this unspoken oath which has me to marry one of Robert's daughters since I will usurp his property and title one day."

Matthew realized how reasonable the arrangement must have seemed to the Earl and Patrick's father, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for his cousin who would've never enjoyed a happy marriage based on love. The way Matthew saw it, he could've never thought of actually marrying anyone if love and true affection wasn't involved. In fact he even thought that if he was to never know love in his entire life, then he would be perfectly happy to carry on with his job until the Lord would have claimed him. "And none of this three young ladies is of your liking?"

"Well" Patrick began "I am to marry the eldest, Lady Mary. She is indeed one of the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, but … and I hope I will be able to explain myself … I find very hard to bring myself to feel that kind of love and affection for someone who I have grown up with. Someone who I have seen tumble in the dirt and peel her kneels. All of her womanly virtues seem to fade away to only inspire the sincerest brotherly affection."

Matthew understood perfectly Patrick's words and he had thought about it so much on his way home. It had been surreal to be bothered with matters such as titles and estates, even if for just a couple of days. But when he had come back to Manchester, his life had quickly come back to its roots and the memory of those topics of conversation had faded quickly from the moment he and his cousin had bid each other goodbye.

But it had all come back to him that very same day when on the evening post he had found a letter from none other than Patrick.

"What is it, my dear?" his mother asked him.

"It's a letter from Patrick Crawley, the cousin I met in London"

"Oh is he the nice boy who paid us a visit a couple of months ago?" Matthew nodded "Then what does it says?"

"He tells me they're giving a ball in his honour to cheer him up after his fathers death. He says you and I are both invited."

"How lovely!" Isobel cried "Is it going to be in London?"

"That's the point. He has invited to stay with him at his cousin in Yorkshire. He has invited us to be guest at Downton Abbey, the home of the Earl of Grantham".


	2. The middle-class guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew and Isobel are getting ready to visit Downton Abbey and meet all the other Crawleys. Meanwhile in Yorkshire, Mary begins to suffer from the consequences of being promised to her cousin Patrick and finds comfort in the most unexpected person.

"Mother, maybe we really shouldn't do this" it was about the third or fourth time that Matthew had changed his mind that morning. He was staring at the carriage waiting to be loaded with their luggages and the poor maid, Claire, going in and out from their city home with the heavy suitcases.

Isobel adjusted her gloves and snorted "My darling boy, we've already been through this. You mailed your attendance card without thinking too much and now not showing up would be unkind."

"I know but—I didn't realized at the moment. We've never really associated with people who invite you to stay over when they throw a party. I mean— that's just really scary, I think."

"That's the way they do things in their world. And forgive me, but I'm positive this Lord Grantham isn't exactly elated to welcome a lawyer and his mother in their home. I bet they will expect us to fail them or Patrick at any moment, so I'm really sorry but I won't give this kind of people the satisfaction to say they were right. So that's it, we're going." Matthew sighed and watched his mother getting everything settled helpless. "Oh and don't just stand her! Give the poor Claire a hand!"

"Of course" Matthew quickly replied absentmindedly and grabbed the heavy luggages to be loaded on the carriage.

"Do you have everything?" his mother asked him, once they were apparently good to go "Your tails, ties and everything?" Matthew nodded and watched as Mrs Bird joined them in the courtyard. "Very well" Isobel said "Mrs Bird, I wish you and Claire a pleasant time while we are away."

"It's very kind of you, Mrs Crawley. We do hope that after seeing the big castle, you will still consider us up to the task."

"Of course we will" Matthew quickly intervened. He would hate to think that his employees would consider him posh.

As the carriage left the busy Manchester street they lived in, Matthew realized it was too late to make up any more excuses. What he didn't understand was what his mother was getting out of this. Her reasons for it being impossible to refuse were understandable, but he swore he could read some kind of eagerness in her eyes. It was weird since he never thought of his mother like a curious person. Or maybe was there something else? Was she tired of her life in Manchester? Wasn't he making her happy like his father did? When they were already one hour into the journey he couldn't restrain himself from asking.

"Oh my dear boy! Of course it's nothing like that! I have never in my life wished to be anything more than I am now, you know that. If I was really keen on this trip is because I've noticed how much you've overworked yourself lately. You work so hard and then spend your weekends with me or reading a book. I'm not saying I'm not proud of you, but I really think you should see more people of your own age. You almost have no friends at all."

"Mother, you know I still write to my college mates. Plus, I don't find it essential at the moment. I've only started working and—"

"Yet I have seen you in Patrick's company when he came to visit. Your face was lit up the whole weekend. I could really tell you are really developing a great deal of affection for your cousin. I think that is why you mailed your response so quickly. In your heart you knew you wanted to go and see the world he talks about for yourself."

Matthew laid back on his seat and thought carefully about his mother's words. It was true, Cousin Patrick had managed in a really short period of time to capture his affection, and he was really pleased to see him again. He had met just a few people in his life who he had really felt such a connection. And the thought of it alone was absolutely absurd, considering the huge gap in the society which separated them. But that was something you could say only if you'd never met Patrick. His life force, his authenticity and maybe also his naivety, made him someone who was absolutely impossible to hate and also not being drawn by. As Matthew watched the setting slowly changing outside the carriage, he laid back his head and haunted by all of his thoughts, he fell soundly asleep.

* * *

The countess of Grantham, Lady Cora Crawley, was sipping her tea in the company of her daughters Lady Mary and Lady Sybil. The light coming from the windows filled up the whole room, almost making it shine, and Cora was so pleased that they were actually expecting guests on such a lovely day.

"Where is Edith anyway?" Mary asked in her poshest voice possible "Isn't she coming down for tea?"

"She's actually gone to Ripon to collect the new frock from the ball" Cora informed her excited.

Mary chuckled "I find it so funny that I am to marry cousin Patrick, but she's getting a new frock for the ball in his honour."

"Darling, you know very well this was her turn!" Cora scolded her, but knew there was something else beside the envy of a new frock.

"I am only pointing out how pathetic she looks. I hope you'll manage to control her at the ball before she makes a fool of herself."

"Mary!" Cora cried.

"That's not very kind at all!" Sybil commented.

Mary looked at her pretty younger sister and thought about how much she envied her. So young and careless, entitled to look forward to a ball simply because of the dancing and the handsome guests. That wasn't Mary's case. No, she was the first daughter and almost because she had made the grave mistake of not being born a boy, she had to carry all the responsibilities upon her shoulders. She was twenty-one years old, only four years older than Sybil, yet she was not allowed to dream like her sister,  _both of her sisters_ were. She bore the responsibility of ensuring the property of Downton Abbey and a safe future, so choosing her own husband, a man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, had never been an option for her. But she wasn't silly or dreamy like Sybil was, no … She did have some ambition. A great deal of it actually. She didn't have a care for love and affection, she knew people like her didn't have any use of it. But on one thing she was more firm than ever: she hated to be told what to do. If security and a position was indeed what her family wanted for her, then she couldn't understand why she couldn't secure it herself. She loved Downton of course, and she hated that it was going to be shipped off to somebody else (even their affectionate cousin), but if that was the price, she wasn't willing to pay it.

"Your ladyship, the Dowager Countess." Carson announced as her grandmother stepped in the room.

"Mama" Cora cried " We weren't expecting you! Otherwise we would have waited for you!"

"I know, I know" she cut Cora off, taking a seat on an armchair "But I heard from your driver last night that  _Patrick's guest_  are arriving today, and I really couldn't miss the great entrance!"

Both Mary and Sybil couldn't help letting out a brief chuckle, before their mother's wondering eye scolded them "Mama I beg you to be a little bit more understanding today …"

"Have you met him?" Sybil asked curious "Patrick said that—"

"That he met him at the Memorial in London" Mary snorted " Yes yes … He couldn't have gone on more about it than he did. I don't think any of us could have met him, he must've been sitting in the back with all the commoners."

"Mary!" Cora cried annoyed.

"Shouldn't we be paying him the right respect?" Sybil asked naively "He's our cousin after all, isn't he?"

"You're perfectly right, dear" Cora replied proudly "We will welcome him and respect him as one of the family."

"Well" Violet intervened "We will respect him as much as you can respect a  _lawyer_." she immediately recognized her daughter-in-law's disapproving look "Oh Cora, please even for an american like you, Downton receiving a lawyer, from a dusty old city such as Manchester, as noble guest , must sound funny."

"Well that is what Patrick wishes, and we wouldn't certainly be the ones to deny him that wish!"

"And that brings me to the another question" Violet began as Cora was already thinking of the worst "I think the decision of having Patrick coming to leave here with you is awfully rushed."

"Mama, what other choice did we have? He's not that much older than Mary, not so much more than a boy, and we are the only family he has left!"

"I fully understand your reasons, but couldn't he just live somewhere nearby? Crawley house maybe?"

"And live alone with the servants? Living in the gentlemen's club in London would be more appealing. Plus, if he's to be master here one day, I only find it useful that he learns and benefits from Robert's company!"

"Regardless … I don't think it is very proper since he is going to marry Mary. They shouldn't be living together under the same roof unmarried."

" _If_ I'm ever going to marry him!" Mary intervened.

"Mary, please. We've already been through this..." Cora cried in exasperation.

" I know we have, but I still don't understand why must I be obliged to marry him! What if a Duke comes to Downton and asks for my hand?"

"Oh dear" Violet chuckled "If a Duke indeed comes here and asks you to marry him, then I don't think either me or your parents will object to that. But for the time being Patrick is your security and you shall keep him within your grasp." Violet's words were final and for once Cora agreed with her. The tea went on and Mary realized she wasn't allowed to pick up the topic any more. That's why she decided to bring the conversation back to the singular guest they were expecting.

"What do you think Patrick finds in this Matthew Crawley?" she realized it was the first time she was speaking his name "I mean what use could a family like ours could have in frequenting a middle class lawyer?"

"Well if time calls for desperate measures, I should find him a use!" Violet cried amused.

"Mama? What do you have in mind?" Cora asked both curious and scared.

"But for Edith of course!" she voiced as Mary couldn't contain her laughter "I suppose there're worst professions than a lawyer and Edith isn't getting any younger … or prettier for that matter." she got Cora's look again "Oh please! Don't pretend you haven't thought about it too!".

Mary's laughter was quickly interrupted by Carson barging in the drawing room again. He stood stiff and announced that Patrick was coming in.

"Cousin Cora!" he began cheerfully "Oh and you are in the company of almost all my lovely cousins!" he said as Sybil and Mary smiled and nodded.

"Good morning Patrick, how was your morning tour of the village?"

"Very enjoyable, thank you. Now before I catch up with cousin Robert, I wanted to inform you that I got a telegram from cousin Matthew this morning, saying that we can expect him and his mother for the late afternoon!"

"Thank you for the information, dear" Cora smiled "I will inform the staff downstairs."

"And were is the lovely Edith?" Patrick asked gently.

"She's in Ripon collecting her new frock for the ball."

"Splendid" Patrick cried cheerfully "I can hardly wait to see how beautiful you ladies will look tomorrow!"

Mary forced herself to smile, but as the door closed behind Patrick's back, she rolled her eyes annoyed. Patrick was way too happy and not serious enough for her taste. As she felt her mother and her granny's eyes on her, she knew that it was only a matter of time before one of them told her she could have made much more of an effort with her cousin a few moments earlier.

* * *

Meeting the family had been absolutely nerve wrecking. They had arrived late because of a carriage malfunction on the way, and some of the family members had looked rather annoyed. They had planned a grand welcome apparently, but since they got there so late, there was only Patrick and Lord Grantham there to welcome them in the hall. The ladies had grown tired and were waiting to be called up for dinner in the drawing room. Lord Grantham seemed all in all a very nice man, but his perplexity of Matthew's presence in his house was inevitably showing. During dinner, Matthew didn't really have a chance to meet his three young cousins, primarily because they were sitting on the opposite side of the table and mostly because they didn't seem to really care about him at all. Only the younger daughter of the Earl had asked him a question directly at some point, but the rest of the evening had mostly consisted in a tennis match between the Dowager Countess and his greatest defender, Patrick. If the whole family wasn't appreciative of his presence but was working as hard as it could to mask it, the Dowager simply couldn't care less and maybe even enjoyed underlining their social differences.

After a glass of Porto and a cigar during which he had really enjoyed talking about his life and work to an interested Lord Grantham, Matthew excused himself an announced he was going to bed. A footman showed him to his room but made him incredibly uncomfortable when he didn't seem to want to leave.

"Uhm … I'm sorry—"

"Thomas, sir." the man proudly specified.

"Thomas. Is there something else you need to tell me?"

"I am to be your valet, sir. Since you haven't brought one of your own."

" A  _valet_?"

"I will help you get dressed and get ready for bed, sir. It's the way we do things here at Downton."

Matthew couldn't help reading a slight hint of mockery "Well in that case, if you would be that kind not to tell anyone, I think I could probably dismiss your services."

"If that's what you wish, sir."

"It is … Thomas. And thank you."

* * *

The morning after Matthew was blown away when he descended the grand staircase for breakfast. In the rush of the night before, he hadn't had the chance to admire the beauty of that place. But he didn't look at it with envy or greediness. He looked at it as you would look at a Palace, at a church, not like a place were people actually lived. When he reached the dining room, he was taken aback for a moment. He wasn't used to find so many people at the breakfast table. As he noticed his mother chatting with lady Grantham, he realized with his greatest disappointment that Patrick hadn't yet come out of his bedroom. He greeted everyone and after filling up his plate with eggs and smoked ham, he took a seat at the table, this time nearby the girls. There was only two of them, and one was the girl who had spoken to him the night before, Sybil he believed. The other one he simply couldn't remember, but provided by Patrick's description, she couldn't be the virtuous Cousin Mary. As they chatted politely, his tension was happily relieved as Patrick walked in.

"Good Morning Crawley Family!" most of them greeted back, but none with the blonde cousin's enthusiasm. Patrick took a seat beside Matthew and started to eat his breakfast.

"Robert, where is Mary? Is she sick, or something?" he asked noticing her absence. Matthew listened carefully, growing more and more curious of their mysterious cousin.

"No she's not sick," Robert answered visibly sorry about his daughter's absence "She had her breakfast very early this morning and decided to go for a walk."

"That's a relief" Patrick replied cheerfully, hoping to bring Robert's spirit up "You know, I think we might join her" he said looking at Matthew " This way I'll show Matthew around the place!"

"That is a wonderful idea!" Cora cried, her face lighting up "If you ask Carson, I'm sure he'll tell you which path she has taken. He always keeps an eye on her."

"Splendid!" the young man said as his green eyes shone in the morning light. Not everyone at the table, though, seemed to love the idea.

"But Patrick—I thought we were going to play that board game you brought us last week!"

Before Cora could scold her daughter, Patrick promptly answered "Cheer up, Edith! We'll have plenty of time to play it now that I live here. But Cousin Matthew is here and I'm sure he'll want to benefit of the wonderful views of the estate!"

"He's right Edith!" Cora intervened.

Matthew felt a little bad for his cousin and decided to intervene "Oh but I wouldn't want to be the reason of a broken promise, for sure!"

"You are not, Matthew" Robert joined the conversation "Edith was being childish, but she perfectly understands that Patrick must be engaged elsewhere. Don't you, Edith?"

"Yes, Papa" she nodded " Of course".

The awkward breakfast was finally over, and as Matthew looked at his mother going into the drawing room with Lady Grantham and his cousins, he was glad to finally spend some time alone with Patrick.

"So, what do you think?" Patrick began with a pat on Matthew's back.

Matthew sighed loudly "Well … It's has been an  _interesting_ twelve hours, that's for sure!"

Patrick's contagious laugh filled the chilly air of that Saturday morning, as both men kept walking through the marvelous park around the house. "You can relax now" Patrick reassured him "We don't have a butler that keeps an eye on us!"

Matthew laughed at his joke, but then said " About that … They sent some man to dress me up last night."

"Of course, a valet" but for Matthew that wasn't normal at all "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realized you don't use them within your people!"

"Don't worry" Matthew reassured him "It was mostly funny and awkward. I didn't know men in high society need help with their clothes just as the women."

"It is a funny concept now that I think about it." As they continued their conversation, they spotted a girl in a light blue dress sitting on a bench under a secular tree. "That is Mary, right there." he informed him. "Mary!" he called as he speed up the pace.

The brunette lifted her gaze from her book and turned her head in their direction. As they both reached her, she stood up and greeted them politely.

"Mary, good morning!" Patrick began "I thought I could show Cousin Matthew around, this morning, will you join us?"

His smile was charming, but it didn't seem to work on Mary "I suppose I should" she answered glancing reluctantly in Matthew's direction.

When their eyes met for a brief moment, Matthew remembered instantly Patrick's words in their first encounter. He didn't know if it was due to the morning light, but looking at her so closely now, Matthew realized she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen as well. Even her frown and her posh attitude couldn't mask her natural beauty.

"Good Morning, Lady Mary" he greeted her almost out of breath.

Mary chuckled "Please, call me Cousin Mary. Patrick has spent a great deal of time reminding us we are family."

"Alright" he mumbled "Cousin Mary".

They continued to walk along the paths chosen by Patrick, until they reach an area where they were renovating some cottages. Matthew almost wanted to kick himself for how many times he simply found himself staring at his beautiful cousin, without any apparent reason. Near the cottages there were a group of kids playing with a football and Patrick couldn't really stop himself from joining them. Thinking that his mother wouldn't have approved, Matthew decided to stand back with Mary and enjoy watching the game. It was when he accidentally looked at her again that he noticed she was rolling her eye. He didn't know why he found that amusing.

"You must really hate to have to waste your time entertaining a middle class lawyer" he said immediately regretting his words.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry, I—I just thought you shared the same concerns as your grandmother about our presence at Downton."

"Oh, Cousin Matthew … You'll find out soon enough how my opinion doesn't count much around here." she said in a serious but melancholic tone.

"I can't bring myself to believe it." he replied almost without thinking.

Mary smiled sincerely, but became serious again shortly after " Well … If you'd really like to know, I don't despise you or wish you weren't here at all. I simply couldn't care less."

Honesty was what he had asked for, and honesty was what he had gotten. Matthew didn't know exactly why he did feel so hurt by those words.

* * *

The time for the party had finally come, and Matthew's nervousness quickly increased by the instant, until Patrick had popped into his room to check up on him.

"The Crawley boys should make an entrance together!" he had said to reassure him that he wouldn't have left him alone. But has the evening progressed and more and more people came to greet his cousin, Matthew was inevitably left alone. When the music started he watched as Patrick swept away Mary gracefully on the dance floor, opening the dances for everyone. After Matthew had danced twice with Cousin Sybil and once with Cousin Edith and Cousin Cora, he realized none of the lady guests was actually interested on dancing with him. Apparently not even his last name was enough to make his profession and social status go away. He looked around the room, searching for Patrick and found him enjoying himself dancing a fox trot with a blissful looking Edith. He decided not to spoil their fun and went outside from the front door to get some air. As he held his jacket tight because of the cold, he realized he wasn't alone.

Mary turned her head absentmindedly and gasped "Good Lord Cousin Matthew, you've startled me!"

"I apologize" he said sincerely "I had no idea you were outside as well."

"Apologies accepted" she cried looking back in front of her.

"Why aren't you inside? Shouldn't you be enjoying this sort of things?"

Mary turned her head again, she didn't know if she should answer so she gave him a challenging look "Why aren't  _you_  inside as well?" she replied in a sharp voice.

Matthew grinned "It's turns out I'm just as popular with your peers as I am with you" he explained. Mary chuckled. "But you on the other hand should be the star of the night, the princess of the castle. There's no place for you outside."

Mary's expression darkened "That's where you're wrong" she whispered "Patrick is the star of the night, not me" but she realized Matthew's expression demanded a deepening on the topic "It seems like … Nobody wishes to dance with me beside Cousin Patrick" she explained. Matthew was about to reply, to say that that sentence absolutely made no sense. But then he went through his memories, and realized he had never indeed seen her dance with anyone else but Patrick that night. He simply looked at her, unable to provide a consolation, thinking that asking the reason would have been very rude. Mary thought she didn't have anything to lose anymore, so she decided to explain the matter "You must've heard that I will probably have to marry Patrick one day" Matthew nodded blushing lightly "Maybe it was silly but—I thought that if I could find someone better than him, then I wouldn't have needed to be obliged to take him against my will." Matthew followed carefully, pleased to be discovering a whole different side of Lady Mary "But tonight I realized that even though it has never been announced, everyone in society has made the right math after Cousin James died in the Titanic. Now I'm simply considered Patrick's property, and nobody cares enough to dance with a girl who's already taken. Even if not officially."

"Do you want to—" Matthew replied almost instantly "I mean— Would you like to dance with me?"

Mary chuckled taking Matthew by surprise "Am I already an object of pity in your eyes, Cousin Matthew?"

"Oh, no! Please, Cousin Mary! I didn't mean to insult you, I—I"

Mary waved her finger to hush him and chuckled again "Please, Cousin Matthew! If you really want to get to know me, you have to start noticing when I am in fact teasing you!" Matthew blushed violently and let out a nervous laugh "I guess I wouldn't mind dancing with my middle-class cousin" she said and Matthew unknowingly lit up "But don't you think this will rise some unwanted questions?"

This time Matthew recognized her teasing tone. He grinned and replied "Oh Cousin Mary,I don't think anyone should be alarmed to see the first daughter of the Earl of Grantham dancing with her poor middle-class cousin, am I right?"

And as she gracefully accepted his hand, they looked at each other in a strange new way but the moment was so brief non of them really did notice.


	3. It's the thought that counts!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After going back to Manchester, Matthew and Isobel are invited to Downton again for Christmas. Matthew isn't completely convinced, but he finds out there's more than one surprise awaiting him there.

It was the third morning in a row that Matthew had woken up covered in sweat. He tried to assume a more steady position on the bed while he dismissed Thomas who had just brought him some tea and biscuits. He grabbed his watch to look at the time and remembered he had been woken up earlier because of the riding trip with Patrick that morning. Well for one thing, he wouldn't have had to go down for breakfast that morning, which was a relief. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the company, but more that he was afraid of what that company was doing to him. Ever since Patrick's Ball and that one dance with Cousin Mary, he had found it very difficult to fall asleep and had been waking up almost agitated. He didn't know what or who he was dreaming about, but he knew that whatever it was, it was haunting him and surely had something to do with Downton Abbey. Also he had found it very enjoyable to be woken up by somebody else in the morning, bringing a hot cup of tea to his door. When he looked back and realized how the Abbey place had influenced him, he almost didn't recognized himself. But maybe the most alarming thing was that whenever he had felt Cousin Mary's eyes on him, he had noticed a big rush of heat immediately investing his body. The sweat caused by the heat would make him feel as though he was having a déjà vu.

Noticing all of those things had made Matthew want to go back to Manchester as soon as possible. It was not that he wasn't enjoying himself (in fact, it was the complete opposite), but he did feel that he needed to breathe familiar air to get a good sense of his own self again. What was he thinking, enjoying that luxurious life style? What was he thinking, staring at the lips of the daughter of an Earl? Matthew considered himself a simple man. He led a very nice life, but it was simple indeed. It wasn't made of balls and Ladies and sparkly dresses. It wasn't made of estates and garden parties. No, it was made of busy city streets and piles of legal papers.

As he stood up and started to wear the riding gear his cousin had lent him, he decided he would go back to Manchester as soon as possible. He had already pleased his mother and he could always see Patrick in London or go visit. When he was ready, he put his hat on and glanced at the sky, beginning to clear outside the window. It was time to go.

* * *

Robert walked down the grand staircase of Downton Abbey with his faithful dog Pharaoh following him behind. He had just changed from his morning clothes and was about to join his wife and daughters in the drawing room for tea.

"Mama!" He cried surprised when he stepped into the room. "I'm surprised to find you here again today. You've been coming quite more often lately!"

"One finds herself quite bored alone in her own house, when there are such peculiar guests here!" The old woman replied.

Sybil decided to address the big question mark that appeared on Robert's face. "Granny has become quite fond of her bickering with Cousin Isobel," she explained, giggling.

"And to my greatest disappointment, she isn't even here! Apparently she has decided to visit the local hospital. What kind of proper woman would miss tea because of  _that_?" Violet spoke as though Isobel had missed the opportunity of having tea with Her Majesty herself. The girls' irrepressible chuckles were almost immediately put to rest by the Earl, who didn't tolerate them as well as his mother's sharp tongue.

Luckily Cora decided to intervene. "Where are the Crawley boys?" She asked cheerfully, with a loving smile only for her husband.

"Yes, where are they? We thought they were meeting up with you before lunch!" Edith cried impatiently.

"I'm afraid they've sent Lynch back, saying that they would prolong their ride and get a bite to eat in a pub." Robert informed them while he took a seat and sipped his tea. Sybil tried to contain her laughter when both her granny and her eldest sister rolled their eyes at the word  _pub_.

"They seem to be very fond of each other," Cora commented.

"I think Cousin Matthew is really nice!" Sybil stated cheerfully, receiving her mother's approval for her behaviour.

" _My my,_ " Edith started. "How come we haven't yet heard a harsh middle-class joke, yet? What is it Mary? Are you softening up?" She teased maliciously.

Mary lifted her gaze at once. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means we all saw you dancing that last waltz with Cousin Matthew on the night of the Ball."

"So what? You danced with him as well and Sybil danced with him  _twice_!"

"But then, none of  _us_  had all of those conversations that you and Matthew were having in the garden or at dinner, or after! It'd be naïve of you to think that we don't have eyes!"

" _Oh, please,_ as if I could ever consider him! Edith, even you know me better than that! Besides, I won't deny that I have been enjoying having a conversation with a man without any marital expectations from either side. Is it a crime now to enjoy a harmless conversation with a cousin?" Mary recalled the conversations she had had in the past few days with Cousin Matthew. There was a truth to her words. She had really enjoyed spending time with a man, only for the fun of doing it and not because her parents expected something, anything, from her. He was her cousin (the one she didn't  _have_ to marry) and she could just go and talk to him whenever she liked. It was almost liberating. Plus Cousin Matthew wasn't as boring as she had thought. He was very well educated and talked about a world which was significantly far from hers. But she didn't necessarily agree with everything he said, which made their conversation more challenging and unexpectedly exciting.

"Mary is right," Robert decreed. "Matthew is a nice fellow and a terrific conversationalist. And I'm not afraid to say that he has been a great influence on Patrick."

"Has he now?" Violet asked. "I'm not quite sure I want know what you mean."

"You all know Patrick … He's a good boy, but he's never been that interested when it came to the estate, the cottage renovations, and so on. But yesterday when we went around with Matthew, he was incredibly proactive and kept asking Matthew for legal advice. I also know Matthew's helping him with poor James's investments. It looks like he won't need to hire Murray after all."

"That's nice, isn't it?" Cora cried in her sweet voice. "When will Cousin Matthew and Cousin Isobel return to Manchester?"

"They will leave the day after tomorrow for London to help Patrick handle some business and then they're going to go to Manchester from there. It looks like we'll have to start saying our goodbyes." Robert said, smiling, even if with a tiny hint of sadness.

"Papa," Sybil caught his attention. "But in what way are we to leave our acquaintance with them?"

"Well," he began, "I don't see why we shouldn't write to them sometimes … And maybe if you all agree, we can ask them back for Christmas. Matthew has told me that the closest relatives they have live in another country, and so they never really reach out for the holidays."

"Well," it was Violet's time to intervene, "I guess it wouldn't be right to deny Patrick his cousins' company for the holidays. And if Cousin Matthew makes him more focused on the estate, then all the better."

"Then it's decided. We will invite them for Christmas! I'm sure Patrick will be pleased!"

* * *

Patrick was pleased indeed. That had actually made it impossible for Matthew to refuse the invitation. Of course he would have loved to spend Christmas with Patrick and the rest of the family, instead of it being just him and his mother, reminiscing about Christmas Days when his father was alive. It would have surely been nice for a change, and he wouldn't have to watch his mother sadly lost in her memories. Going back to Downton Abbey, when he had just made up his mind to leave it for good for his own sake, certainly wouldn't make things easy. But he had, indeed, accepted the invitation in the end, and even let himself look forward to it. Maybe he only needed some time to cool off. Maybe if he were to take Downton Abbey in small doses it wouldn't affect him as he feared, it wouldn't change him.

But before bidding goodbye to Patrick in London, Matthew did something he thought would set things straight, if not for Patrick, then at least for himself. He recommended being nicer to their cousin Mary. He recommended that Patrick try to become closer to her. If marrying other people was not to be an option for them, then Patrick had to try to build their relationship, if not on love and attraction, then at least it could be on friendship and trust. Their marriage may have even worked better in the long run. And if Matthew could actually picture Patrick and Mary as a couple, then maybe  _his mind wouldn't wander to where it shouldn't_. Matthew was sure that if he had to see Mary as Patrick's, then his mind, body, and soul would drop all of those inappropriate thoughts gladly.

He didn't, of course, tell Patrick about his personal reasons guiding this particular advice, but he knew his cousin had listened to every word of it. Just like he had been carefully listening to him and his advice since their friendship had started to grow. It was nice to have found a younger brother in Patrick, and as the carriage hit the road to bring back Matthew and his mother to Manchester, he hoped that his cousin would be ready for the months to come.

Patrick was a light-hearted, life-loving, genuine young man. The trouble was that he had never really  _done_  anything in his life. Everything he had, he had been given. And while Matthew supposed that was the way that every aristocrat lived, and passed the torch from heir to heir, he wasn't quite sure that an inexperienced person such as Patrick would be able to handle all of it at once. Dealing with his late father's investments, the cottage renovations plan, Robert's tips on running the estate, and - last but not least - the loveless arranged marriage with Mary. Matthew wasn't sure that  _he himself_ could havehandled all of it, despite his having worked his entire adult life, or at least, had been given the education to work. For all of those reasons Matthew had recommended that Patrick try to become closer with Mary. If he would be able to recognize the beauty, the eloquence, and the good spirit of Cousin Mary, then – combined with all of the happy memories that Matthew was sure the two cousins shared - maybe Patrick could make it through the transitions more easily and with a good marriage from which to gain comfort.

* * *

Days, weeks, and months passed quite quickly and Matthew happily noticed that he had been right about coming back to his hometown. As soon as he had been back in Manchester, and back working at the firm, routine had kicked in and he had very gladly submerged himself with so much work that he didn't even have time to remember that he had a cousin named Mary.

Well, he  _remembered_  of course (especially when a letter from Lord Grantham or Patrick arrived), but his return to his old life had certainly managed to keep his mind busy from anything else. Actually now that he could think more clearly about his visit to Downton Abbey, he realized he had been so incredibly eager to get out of there because his conscience had been scared, and horrified, by his unexpected attraction to his cousin Mary. Now that he could look at the matter with a fresher mind set, he decided that he couldn't keep beating himself up about her. He was a man, and Cousin Mary was a very attractive young woman, and he certainly couldn't be blamed for having noticed that. Maybe he had been so shocked about his feelings because he had never felt so strongly drawn by a woman, but it was not as though he had fallen in love with her. No … he had been so stupid to stress about it so much. There was absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, and most importantly, Lady Mary –  _Cousin Mary_ – hadn't shown the slightest interest in him, so there you have it. Matthew wasn't going to be the cause of any sorts of trouble and could now admit freely to even being a little bit excited to go back to the Abbey. Who knows what his Crawley side of the family would have in store for him now.

Isobel, on the other hand, wasn't as happy as her son to be back in Manchester. But she hadn't been bewitched by the great crystal chandeliers or the five-course meals of Downton Abbey. While there she got confirmation that Matthew was  _happier_  in the company of people his own age, especially his long-lost cousins. Isobel always knew that her dear boy was the Shy type ever since he was little; she had also known that that aspect of his character had intensified after her husband died. But following their visit to the Abbey, where Matthew had proven to be sociable not just with Patrick but also with his female cousins (well, mostly, Lady Mary and Lady Sybil), Isobel had thought that after enjoying himself so much, he would've tried to meet new people once back in Manchester. She had sadly found out that was not the case. Matthew had thrown himself back into work, consuming him every day and weekend, just as they did before. He wasn't exactly crying out for help, but Isobel couldn't shake the feeling that this was just not the right way for her son to be leading his life. She just hoped that she could, somehow, find a way to make things better. But their imminent visit to Downton Abbey for Christmas had to be enough, for the moment.

"Good morning, Mother! It's a good day, isn't it?" Matthew greeted her one cold December morning.

"It is, my dear son! It's good to see you in such an excellent mood! Maybe our imminent departure has something to do with it?" Isobel smiled while investigating.

Matthew looked at her amused. She had been doing that for a couple of months now. "I am eager to spend Christmas at Downton, but it's not what you think. It will be a nice little break, that's all."

"Surely you must be happy about spending time with Patrick and your other cousins."

"Indeed I am. Although I'm not so sure my other cousins share the same excitement. They probably had hundreds of dinners with far more interesting people while we were away. I'll be surprised if they even remember us!" He cried, joking about their relatives' lifestyle.

"At least you'll have Patrick's enthusiasm to make up for it!"

Matthew chuckled. "We can always count on that," he said, remembering his cousin's ways of fondness.

On that afternoon the carriage was loaded and ready to carry them to Yorkshire. While Mrs. Bird and Claire thanked their employers for giving them the holidays off, they hoped once again that they would be returning to allow them to keep their jobs. The journey was far more pleasant this time around, and luckily there was no carriage malfunction to endure. They arrived to Downton Abbey in time to get changed for dinner, in the same bedrooms that hosted them before, and then joined the family (with both the Dowager and Lady Rosamund present) in the drawing room.

"My dear chap!" Robert welcomed Matthew. "How has life in Manchester been treating you?"

"Same as always, I'm afraid. But I'm sure that Patrick has been spicing up your country life, hasn't he?"

"He definitely is," Robert said, placing a hand on his cousin's and heir's back. Patrick smiled a little but looked rather uncomfortable. Matthew decided to ignore that little detail for the moment and let Lady Grantham, Cousin Sybil and Cousin Edith greet him and include him in another meaningless conversation. It was when his gaze wandered around the room and landed on Cousin Mary, talking to her aunt, that he noticed something. He simply smiled and raised the champagne glass to greet her from the distance. As soon as Mary felt that set of blue eyes on her, she managed to raise the glass quite clumsily and put on the most convincing smile that she could master. Matthew was struck by that image; never during his short acquaintance with her had he witnessed his elegant cousin looking uncomfortable or clumsy. Even when he had found her outside the front door on the night of Patrick's Ball, and she had confessed her distress to him, she had never shown the kind of emotion that just displayed. Something must have happened, something concerning both Mary and Patrick, seeing as they both appeared unwell on this evening. After one of the most awkward dinners he ever had, sitting between Patrick and Mary, Matthew decided to delay Patrick for a moment while Robert had already reached his family in the drawing room.

"Patrick, dear fellow. May I ask what is troubling you?"

"Oh Matty …" Apparently that was the nickname Patrick had coined just for him. "I tried to follow your advice these months, but it all blew up in my face!"

"What do you mean? What advice of mine blew up in your face?"

"The advice about Mary," he said without being able to stay still for the nerves, "I tried to be nicer to her, but it only made things worse! I think she probably hates me right now!"

"Of course she doesn't hate–"

"I have … invited her to walk, given her flowers, given her poetry books … Honestly, I don't know what more I could have done! I thought she would be flattered by my actions, but instead she has looked embarrassed, insulted by it!"

Matthew looked at his cousin carefully. Even if he had already identified the problem halfway through his sentence, he let Patrick blow off all of his steam. "My dear cousin, I'm afraid you have misinterpreted my advice …" he started to explain.

"But you told me to get closer to her!"

"Surely, chap, I did not tell you to  _court_  her." Patrick looked puzzled; evidently he didn't grasp the difference. "If you think that this whole arrangement isn't just as hard on Mary as it is on you, , then my dear cousin you are wrong."

"I never thought about it like that," Patrick sounded defeated, ashamed almost. "I've always seen it as something they all expect from me."

"But it isn't. It's something they expect from Cousin Mary as well. In fact I'm pretty sure that, if you were to find another girl you'd prefer to marry, I don't think they would be angry at you. They would just be disappointed that it didn't work out with Mary. But for Mary, it's different. I don't think she gets much say in the matter." He paused to make sure his words resonated with Patrick. "When I told you to become closer to her, I meant … talk to her more sincerely, try to see how she feels, confide in her, try to make her smile … something simple. You don't need to flatter her; you need to make her feel safe. If you are to go into a marriage with a strong friendship, then that most likely will make a happy marriage. Maybe not a passionate one, but a happy one indeed."

Patrick breathed heavily as he took in all of this information. He wasn't sure he could do it. He wasn't sure he knew the best way to talk to Mary. Matthew, on the other hand, seemed to. He was always helping him when he needed him to, even if Patrick hadn't asked. "I'm sure if you would be here to guide me and prevent me from doing more stupid stuff, it would be much easier." Matthew chuckled gently and patted him on the back to hint that it was time to go back into the drawing room. Patrick chuckled in returned and pulled himself together. "There's still one thing I don't understand," he said, but with a lighter tone this time, "I thought girls loved walks and flowers and poetry!"

Matthew laughed whole-heartedly, but tried to be composed as Carson shot them an annoyed look. "I don't think the problem was your gestures. It was more about their meaning." Patrick looked more puzzled than ever. "You did nice things for her, alright … But did you  _mean_  them? Did … the petals of those roses remind you of the softness of her skin, or... those verses of her beauty and charm?"

Patrick paused for a moment, looking at Matthew carefully. "I guess not," he admitted.

"And do you think Cousin Mary didn't notice that?"

* * *

The next morning was Christmas Eve, and Matthew woke up in a very good mood. He was happy he had helped Patrick once again, and there was simply nothing like waking up in the beautiful setting of a country estate. As he got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, he realized that he still didn't feel completely satisfied with his ways of trying to help Patrick. He knew there was something else that needed to be done, and as he sat at the breakfast table and noticed Mary's seat empty, he realized what he needed to do. He didn't know if it was entirely for Patrick, or because he had been looking forward to speaking, even for just a few minutes, with the eldest of his Lady cousins. But when he spotted her, sitting on her favourite bench, right after breakfast, he decided to gather his courage and talk to Mary. Halfway to his destination, he slowed his pace, not wanting to appear eager or desperate, and as he reached her, he noticed that she looked as moody as she did the night before.

"You know," he began, "No one should look this sad on Christmas Eve." He said, taking a seat beside her. "Didn't they tell you that Santa Claus is coming to town?" Matthew joked, hoping to lift her spirits.

Mary had smiled once she noticed his presence, and when he made the job about Santa Claus, she couldn't help but a brief chuckle. "Oh, Cousin Matthew! I'm very sorry for you, but if you still believe in Santa Claus at your age, then I have bad news for you!" She teased him, feeling a lot better already.

"Spoil sport!" He teased her back, glad that he could hear her laugh once again. "Are you quite excited to find out what your parents and sisters have gotten you as presents?"

"Not really. Every year I politely let them know what I would like to receive, so that there are no hard feelings on Christmas night!"

It was Matthew's turn to chuckle. "I guess no one wishes to suffer your wrath."

"Exactly," she smiled charmingly.

"Speaking of hard feelings," he then started, already spotting signs of distress on Mary's face, "I learned from Patrick of your recent debacle …"

" _Please_  … As it isn't already hard enough, he's even decided to make fun of me!"

"I don't think he was making fun of you. But I'm afraid to say that, actually, this whole thing might be my fault after all." Mary locked her eyes with his searching for an answer. "Before I went back to Manchester last time, I suggested that Patrick put more care into your relationship... that he try become closer to you."

"But why? Why would you suggest that?"

"Because I knew that all of the changes were going to be hard for him! Dealing with his father's Will, learning how to run Downton, the arranged marriage... I thought that if he could at least smooth things with you, then you could help him going through the rest. I wanted you to be friends; I never meant that he should try to buy you with flowers and meaningless poetry."

"Sure," she said bitterly, taking Matthew by surprise. "You all care about poor Patrick and all that he's going through! That just goes to show, not even  _you_ care about me and how I feel at all!"

"On the contrary!" Matthew quickly replied, and grabbed her hand without even thinking. "I care about you a great deal!" As soon as he spoke those words, and looked at his hand holding hers, he realized how it must've looked. He lifted his gaze and they stared into each other's eyes for a few infinite seconds. When he finally felt heat filling his cheeks and noticed Mary's face getting redder and redder, he let go of her hand and coughed to clear his voice. "What I mean is … If you will be forced to marry Patrick, then I'd want you to feel safe with him, to trust him … if not as a lover, at least as an ally, a confidant. You have known Patrick since you were a little girl; I know you must love him."

"I do, but not in the way that I should. I care for him as I would for an annoying older brother from whom one need a break sometimes. To try to  _care for_  him, or love him the way a wife should, that just feels sick … wrong."

"I guess the greatest thing we can do in life is try to make the best out of what has been given to us. However much we want to run away, or storm off from the restrictions." Only silence followed Matthew's words, and as electricity filled the air between them, he and Mary heard their names called and turned to see who was the speaker.

* * *

That same night Matthew was more than happy to see that his intervention had seemed to have lifted both Patrick's and Mary's spirits, as he could tell that there seemed to be no more awkwardness when they talked with each other. Matthew had to admit that he was incredibly surprised to find out how they celebrated Christmas Day at Downton Abbey. Not even he and his mother had ever let Mrs. Bird and Claire celebrate on their own during the holiday. But at Downton it seemed to be a tradition: the servants would have their own celebration at lunch, leaving their masters to serve themselves, then reprise their services for the big dinner. Another great surprise came after dinner when Lady Grantham insisted on playing Charades. The game, which provided entertainment and laughs for the participants, only proved to Matthew that his blazoned relatives were not so different from him, at least in spirit. Right after midnight it came the moment to exchange gifts, and after Isobel gave her granddaughters the pretty decorated handkerchiefs she had bought them, Cora, Robert and Mary approached Matthew with a present for him. Matthew thanked them politely and proceeded to unwrap the squared present. He didn't understand at first what it was, but when he flipped it upside down, he realized it was a vinyl recording from a show which was very popular in the West End at the moment. He smiled looking at the coloured cover, surprised that Lord Grantham had somehow discovered his secret passion for musical theatre.

"We hope you like it," Cora cried excited. "It was actually Mary's idea," she informed him.

Matthew was about to express his gratitude and his appreciation for the gift, but when he heard that it had been Mary's idea, he turned to face her almost automatically.

Mary smiled, "I saw you eyeing Papa's collection with interest the last time you were here, so I thought you might like it."

"I—I love it, thank you. It—it was really thoughtful of you."

"Well," Robert interrupted the moment, "I do hope you have a gramophone, though. Otherwise it is pretty useless."

Matthew chuckled at Robert's practical sense. "I don't actually, but I will make sure to get one now." He smiled politely, glancing at Mary one last time before Patrick attacked him from behind.

"My turn, my turn!" Patrick cried, giving Robert a complicit look. Matthew turned to face his hyperactive cousin and waited. "My gift isn't something you can unwrap," he explained. "Well I did get you something you  _can_ unwrap, but then I talked with Robert and  _this_  is much better than any gift!" Patrick cried cryptically. Matthew turned his head to Mary and Cora who both shrugged, as oblivious as he was. "I know it will sound almost crazy, but your mother agrees that it is a wonderful idea!"  _his mother was onto this too?_  "I beg you, Matthew, to think about it carefully before you give us your answer."

"Dear cousin, I might actually give you an answer if you tell me what is it!" He joked, and Patrick chuckled nervously.

"We want you to move to Yorkshire, to Downton, as a matter of fact." he stated clearly.

"Patrick, uhm... Cousin Robert, you understand why I couldn't possibly accept such an off—"

"Oh please Matthew, you promised you would think about it for a second!" Patrick whined.

"There's a small house on the estate which we never use. It's larger than the cottages, of course. We call it Crawley House. We think it would suit you and your mother very well." Robert explained. "We would never interfere in your lifestyle; in fact, you would be welcome to bring your own servants from Manchester."

"You know how much we enjoy each other's company," Patrick added. "You've seen how helpful you have been to me already!" He kept trying to convince Matthew.

"But surely, you realize I have a job and—"

"You can find a job in Yorkshire as well," Isobel joined the conversation. "With your credentials and your dedication, I think it shan't be very hard!"

Matthew was speechless. He didn't know how to respond; he was so overwhelmed he couldn't even process the information clearly in his head. He realized that he didn't have many excuses. He didn't have anything or anyone tying him to Manchester. Objectively, he knew he could only gain something by moving to Yorkshire, but there was something inside of him which told him that something could go terribly wrong if he did. In between the confusion of all of the voices and eager looks of everyone around him, Matthew found comfort in Robert's hand affectionately placed on his back. "You have been a tremendous help to Patrick these months," he told him once they could talk more privately. "I was naïve in thinking that he would've been happy here with us. The truth is, there's nothing like the care and affection of a brother. And that's what Patrick has found in you. If there's a special someone in Manchester, someone who you haven't told your mother about, then I will understand if you wish to stay there." He smiled. "But if not, please don't feel obliged to refuse our offer. I am not taking pity on you and your different life; it is quite the opposite. I believe your humility and ethics would be a great influence on Patrick and his future here, and who knows… maybe it would be a great influence on my daughters too. Just, please, think about it." And it was thanks to those words that when Matthew looked up and glanced at Patrick and then at Mary, that he could justify the decision he had just made.

 


End file.
